Calgary's Matt Stajan can't get the puck past Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller. Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said the team was 'lucky to end up with the win' in Calgary. MIKE RIDEWOOD, GETTY IMAGES

ANAHEIM – The Ducks opened the season with victories at Vancouver and Calgary, and, given this franchise's recent history of sour starts, going 2-0 is more than just a little notable.

But the consecutive triumphs hardly were without blemishes, Bruce Boudreau even acknowledged Wednesday that his team was "lucky to end up with the win" in the latter game, Monday against the Flames. The final was 5-4.

"But I thought, in the end, our first 15 minutes of the first period and our first 15 minutes of the third period were really good," the coach said. "I'd like to think we deserved it."

Through Tuesday, the Ducks' 12 goals were third in the NHL. After struggling to score during stretches in 2011-12, they've already had a three-goal first period and a four-goal second period.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Kings, by comparison, have scored just three times total in two games.

Against Calgary, however, the Ducks surrendered three consecutive goals after opening an early 3-0 lead.

"We weren't giving up a lot of scoring chances," Boudreau said of the road victories, "but when we were giving them up they were 'Grade A.'"

The Ducks also have permitted power-play goals four of the seven times they've been shorthanded. Playing 5-on-5, they're a plus-6 in goals.

"I think we need to communicate a little bit more," defenseman Cam Fowler said. "For us, I think it's important to get up the ice and cover our gaps a little better. We've been giving up too much time and space. When you do that in this league you can get burned."

Concerning the team's 2-0 start, Fowler suggested it was more by design than fate or coincidence.

"We put a big emphasis on coming out of the gates hot," he said. "Starting with two tough games on the road was a challenge, but we rose up to that challenge."

Simply a historical note: The Ducks were 4-1 to start last season before everything fell apart.

SELLOUT

The home opener Friday against Vancouver is expected to sell out, although some Honda Center sections still have single seats remaining.

The team also anticipates additional tickets becoming available as the 7 p.m. faceoff nears. Tickets on hold could be released if fans are unable to attend, and the full allotment set aside for the players isn't always used.

Those interested in purchasing tickets that become available late are urged to call the Ducks' ticket office at 877-WILD-WING on Friday morning.

LINE THAT STAYS TOGETHER

The threesome of Dan Winnik, Saku Koivu and Andrew Cogliano remained a popular topic Wednesday, which will happen when a line scores like this one did those first two games.

Winnik had four goals and an assist, Koivu four assists and a goal and Cogliano four assists. Each player was plus-5 on the road.

A reporter noted to Boudreau that the linemates were spotted having lunch together recently.

"All the good lines I was a part of when I played, we were always the best friends, too," Boudreau said. "So we'd always hang out together. You just end up learning more about them. The more they hang out the better it is."

RECOVERY MODE

One of the lesser-remembered moments of the Ducks' quick two-game, season-opening trip was that Fowler missed the first game because of the flu.

So, after a 119-day work stoppage, after going overseas to play in an attempt to stay sharp, after appearing in 152 consecutive NHL games, Fowler was unable to answer the opening bell?

"It was bad," he said. "I tried to warm up and I just knew. People were telling me, 'Kid, you know, you don't look so good. You might wanna sit this one out.' I was feeling a little dizzy, a little light-headed."

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